Kissed by Wildfire
by ValaRose
Summary: The road to the Eerie is a long one and so is the story Sandor Clegane tells his captor Arya Stark. A story of how a chance encounter and an act of kindness changed his life for the better only for it to end with a ship setting sail, taking it all away across the narrow sea. Rate M for language and adult themes. please r&r
1. chapter 1

Arya carefully let the cool clean water rush over the injured man's neck. The bite site would get infected but his fear of fire meant that burning away the infected area was out of the question and washing it out was the only option she was left with.

The towering man winced and cursed under his breath as the curved needle pieced into his torn flesh.

"Son of a cunt whore!" He growled.

Arya rolled her eyes, if he kept tensing up like this she wouldn't be able to tend his wound.

"Tell me about her." Maybe she could distract him long enough to sew the ragged skin back together.

Another scar he would have to bear.

Sandor Clegane sat staring at his large clasped hands.

How long had it been since he last saw her?

The cool afternoon breeze blew strands of his dark brown hair across the ruined side of his face, he absently brushed his hand against the burn scars and for the first time since his brother gifted those scars to him he wasn't filled with rage and anger. He was done with his life being driven by hate.

He was tired.

"What'd you want to know girl?" He sighed heavily as he felt the sharp point of the needle pierce the tender flesh of his neck, feeling blood trickle down past his collar bone.

Arya thought for a moment, she only meant to distract him from the pain but now presented with the opportunity her curiosity got the best of her. Hundreds of questions raced through her mind and she knew that if asked The Hound would be honest in his own brutal fashion.

"How could Nora love someone like you?" She blurted out angrily think of Mycah the butcher's boy.

The Hound shrugged his massive shoulders causing Arya to stab the needle almost to the bone.

"Be careful where you stick that girl!" He grumbled.

"Sorry." She said surprising the smallest smile.

He sighed again.

"I don't know." He said almost to himself.

"What'd mean you don't know?"

He laughed, that harsh laugh of his but there was no cruelty in it. To Arya he seemed almost defeated, that hatred he had inside of him, that had consumed him, the mask he wore seemed to fall away and for a moment The Hound was gone and in his place sat Sandor Clegane.

"You think your the first person to ever ask that, girl?" He asked bitterly.

Arya remained silent for a moment.

"Sansa said that during The Hands tourney that she had never seen so much love than she did when Nora looked at you." She said quietly.

She could only see the undamaged side of his face, the corner of his mouth twitch into a small smile and for a split second she seen his inner light, the light that Nora had always seen when she looked upon his face and in that light he was as handsome as The Knight of Flowers.

"Nora was the only one... She saw me as a whole man, not ruined..."

The light had once again been replaced by the surly look of contempt.

"Love is a curse, never forget that. If I teach you anything, girl it's that. Once your enemies know that you have a weakness they will use it against you. The things I've done, the people I've killed where to keep Nora safe. Joffrey the little cunt knew that, if I questioned him in any way he would threatened my wife's life!"

"Your wife?" She asked, slightly confused as she let the needle slip again.

He nodded, this time unfazed by the pain.

"Aye. Before the Battle of The Blackwater, Nora and I married in secret. Not until my dying day will I forget how beautiful she looked that night, the way the thousands of candles in the Sept made her eyes look like the colour of Wildfire."

Arya had finished stitching him up, she tied the thread and poured fresh water over it cleaning off the dried blood as he talked.

"No one knew?" She asked, wrapping the cleanest cloth she could find around the bite site.

He barked out another laugh. "Can you imagine if Joffrey knew? Her pretty head would be on a spike in Kings Landing if that little shit knew anything. In his twisted little mind his dog wouldn't be completely loyal anymore."

The young Stark girl took in all that Sandor Clegane had said. Being on this journey with him, she had started to understand why he was the way he was. She watched him now as he stood staring off into the distance, they were alike she realised. They were both left in this world with no one.

"Where is she now?" Arya asked as he re joined her by the fire, keeping his distance from the blaze he handed her some strips of dried beef, black bread crusts and hard cheese.

"As soon as we got word that Stannis was marching on Kings Landing, I booked her passage on a ship to take her across the Narrow Sea. I don't know where she is now, if she's alive or dead. I don't know if the child she carried in her belly..."

"She was pregnant?" She interrupted, almost choking on a piece of bread that went down the wrong way.

He nodded as he silently ate, it didn't go unnoticed by the girl that he had given her a bigger portion of their meagre supplies than he took for himself.

There is kindness in him. She thought to herself.

"That surprise you? That someone like Nora would take a monster like me into her bed?"

Arya shook her head no.

"Aye, she was carrying my child, a child I never met. A son or daughter I never held in my arms, a child I will never know. I'll tell you this, girl if the Gods are real they are cruel fuckers! They give you something to live for only to take it away. My time with Nora was the only time in my miserable life I ever felt happy. It was the first time I wasn't alone."

He is human after all. Arya thought to herself.

"How did you meet?" She asked curiously. Where would a beast like The Hound come across someone like Nora?

"It's a long story." He said almost softly.

"It's a long way to The Eerie." She retorted.

He laughed as he drank deeply from his water skin. "Aye, that it is."


	2. Chapter 2

It was dark.

But then again it was always dark.

The windows had been boarded shut a long time ago, the old wooden door was bolted from the outside. Old the door maybe be but it was still strong and sturdy, from its cracks slivers of yellow light collected on the dusty floor.

This was her prison.

She had lost count of the days she had been held captive there. Each one in darkness that they began to meld together. Once a day her tormentors would toss a piece of hard black bread and a water skin into the small room where she was bound hand and foot in chains. Her once cream coloured dress was torn and so dirty it appeared a dingy grey rag, her once shining golden red curls were matted from weeks of neglect.

The man was bigger than any she had ever seen.

Each day she was questioned, each day she could give no answer.

That's when the tall man would come.

He would bind her wrists over her head, tear what remained of her dress from her body and beat and whip her mercilessly. She refused to cry, she would not utter a single sound as the giant, growing ever more enraged by her silence, tore at her bloodied skin with his spiked whip.

Every night she was shackled back in her cell, wrists and ankles just as raw and bloody as the rest of her broken body, knowing that it would start all over again. Each time she thought this would be the day she died.

She prayed to the Old Gods and the New, if indeed where real, for death

The day came with the sounds of men screaming. The sound of steal, horns blasting the call to arms. The smell of blood and smoke was thick in the air by the time the last of the of the yelling had stopped.

She huddled into the corner as far as her restraints would allow. She could hear the wooden floors creek under heavy boots, heavy steps that stopped on the other side of the locked door.

"Tonight I die." She whispered.

She was blinded when the door was pulled open, her bound hands flying to her eyes as they burned with the light. The clank of armour and footsteps came closer to her.

"Just kill me and be done with it!" She begged in a hollow voice.

Her eyes adjusted to the light, shining green emeralds found the deep set dark eyes of the man freeing her restraints. His head was bowed as his oversized hands fumbled with the pin that held the shackles together, his eyes again met hers and he felt the breath catch in his throat.

This girl did not cower from his ruined face, instead she looked him directly in the eye and intensely held his gaze. He felt himself flinch slightly when the light caught her eyes making them blaze as hot and as green as Wildfire.

There is no cruelty in his eyes, she thought to herself.

"You won't die today little one." He said as his large yet incredibly gentle hand lifted her as easily as if she were a child to her feet.

"Sandor Clegane?" She asked with a broken hoarse voice.

The Hound held a loose grip on the girl's arm as he looked down from his lofty height, with his free hand he unfastened his heavy travel stained cloak, tugging it free from his massive shoulders he knelt by the girl and draped the massive cloak around her tiny frame.

"Aye, girl. Does it disappoint you that it's some ugly fucker like me who freed you from your tormenters and not some pretty knight? Isn't that what all you ladies want?"

"I am no more a lady than you are a lord!" She retorted slightly stung.

He held her in his gaze for a moment before his mouth twisted into a smile, he barked out a laugh when he realised this girl did not fear him.

"The Septa not teach you sweet honeyed words it recite like a good little bird?" He laughed.

"I never had much time for the Septa's lessons. Needlework and being a simpering fool did not hold much appeal to me, My Lord." She said emphasising the last two words with a small smile of contempt.

The Hound frowned before bursting into his harsh bark of a laugh again.

"Perhaps if I had paid attention, The Mountain would have been..." Her torn back ached and burned with every breath she took.

"My brother would never have been merciful, no matter what sweet words you fed him." He said bitterly.

"Yet you show no fear, they say you killed six of his men before he took you."

The redheaded girl nodded. "I'm better with a sword than reciting poetry, Sandor Clegane. I do not fear your brother no matter what he took from my flesh..."

"He rape you?" He asked bluntly.

The girl shook her head. "No."

There was silence for a moment as The Hound took measure of her. Tiny bit of a thing she was but fierce as the Wildfire in her eyes. A Tully she looked in the colour of her skin and hair but her eyes were not unlike the green of a Lannister only without the cold cruelty of the lion.

"No offence but this place smells like horse shit and you none too better. There is an inn not to far from here, there you'll stay until you have enough strength to ride to King's Landing."

"Will you be leaving men behind at the inn to escort me to King's Landing?"

He laughed again. "That bunch of fucking swine? They'd slit your throat and steal the gold from your teeth while you slept! They ride for The Black Water. No I'm to be your guard, girl."

"Won't the Prince need you?"

"Little shit has the King's Guard." He said with a scowl.

"I'd feel safer with you, Lord Hound."

Sandor Clegane searched the girls face for mocking and found to his surprise she was deadly serious.

"Why's that girl?"

She looked him directly in the face, even the bravest of men could not look upon his badly scarred face for too long but this girl could. Did she not see what others did?

"Your not a bad man, nor a good man but you are an honest one. They are just scars, we all have to bear them, though not as visibly as you bear them. Your scars make you mean and hateful, I doubt anyone would bother us. I trust you Sandor Clegane."

"You don't know me, girl!" He spat angrily at her.

He turned and barked angrily out of the open door behind him. "What one of you fuckers do I have to kill to get some water around here! The Lady Eleanora is dying of thirst. Get the horses ready, we leave before nightfall. Bunch of cunts!"

Eleanora caught sight of an armoured arm thrusting a water bottle through the door. The Hound snatched the bottle and shouted a few more obscenities over his shoulder at the retreating soldier who seemed to cower at the towering man's threats of dismemberment.

"Here you are, girl." He said holding the bottle to her dry parched lips.

She gulped down the cold fresh water greedily, she didn't realise how thirsty she was until the last drop ran down her throat. She had drank so fast that water spilled out of her mouth, down over her chin and began to run down her neck. She felt the large calloused hand of Sandor Clegane against her cheek, his thumb wiping away the spilled water.

Her heart hammered.

"Easy, girl. You'll make yourself sick if you keep drinking like that and you smell bad enough as it is." His hand lingered on her cheek.

The noise from The Hound's men seemed to dissolve into nothingness and for the briefest moment the mask of the Hound slipped away and the girl saw a light radiating from within. The light of his heart, so blinding and beautiful it made the burned and scorched scars on his ruined face disappear and before her was the real Sandor Clegane. A man full of bitterness and sorrow.

As quick as it had appeared it disappeared. They were back in that tiny stinking room and from the look in his eyes the mask of The Hound was firmly back in place. He quickly pulled away his hand, but she still felt the warmth of it against her cheek. He got to his feet clumsy and extended a massive armoured clad hand to her, helping her to her feet. Her ankles chafed raw from her rusted iron restraints would not hold her weight and soon her shaking legs gave way underneath her.

"I have you, girl." He said softly in his rasping voice, catching her before she crashed to the floor. He lifted in his powerful arms and held her protectively close to his armoured chest.

"Nora." She whispered exhaustedly against the cold steel of his breastplate.


	3. Chapter 3

Nora sat in the front of the saddle of the most bad tempered horse she had ever ridden, Stranger was the black coursers name. The animal was as wild and temperamental as Sandor Clegane was, but like his owner Stranger had a softer side and when she ran her hand through his thick black mane, the stallion stood perfectly still and let her pet him.

"Never seen him so calm before." Came the hounds voice from behind her.

"He's a gentle soul at heart or perhaps he is more trusting than his master, Lord Hound." She said scratching between the black stallions ears.

"I thought he would have bitten your hand clean off, I've seen him do a lot worse for a lot less." He answered blandly.

"And you still let me pet him?"

Sandor half grunted, half chuckled in response.

The night air was crisp and cool, the moon shone through the branches onto the twisting uneven dirt road that ran along side a river, the gentle lapping of waves and the slight breeze disturbing the leaves on the trees was all that could be heard. They rode along at a steady pace through the night in no real hurry to get to their destination, The Hound had sent his Page ahead with the rest of the Lannister men with word that they would be arriving within a few hours and to have a bath and hot meal with plenty of ale ready for them on their arrival. The Page was also instructed to find a maester and make sure he was to stay in the inn to treat any injuries Nora had sustained, they young boy seemed more than happy to escape Clegane's company and rushed off with threats of strangulation with his own intestines still ringing in his ears.

Nora was in agony every bump and dip in the road sent a jolt of pain, even though her back felt like it had been doused in Wildfire she shivered as cold sweat drenched her body.

Sandor felt her pushing against him as they rode, searching for the warmth of his body against hers, he could feel her shiver although a fever burned in her. He took his arm from around her waist, raising his hand to his mouth he pulled his glove off with his teeth and placed his on the girls forehead.

"Your running a fever. Where you injured, girl? He asked removing his hand from her clammy burning head.

Not waiting for the girls response he pulled sharply on the reigns directing his horse towards the river, he swung his massive weigh down from the saddle, leading Stranger to the nearest tree and securing him to a low branch, he lifted Nora down.

"Show me."

She turned her back on him and slowly let the oversized cloak fall to the ground revealing the extent of her wounds. Deep scourge marks criss crossed her back, the skin was torn and ragged in places where the spiked whip had cut deep, opening and reopening the broken skin that never had a chance to properly heal before the next lashing.

"I would not scream out in pain, it made him angry and he would whip harder."

She felt the heavy cloak being gently draped around her shoulders, pulling it tightly around her, she turned to face her rescuer. His dark eyes burned with an intense cold fury, the ruined side of his face showed just as much anger as the side untouched by fire.

"Why where you taken? Why is House Rowan nothing but a pile of ash and corpses?!" He demanded angrily through gritted teeth, gripping onto her shoulders looking her directly in the eye.

"Ask your employers!" She spat back at him.

"I'm asking you, girl." He said tightening his grip, never breaking his gaze from hers.

She winced in pain, forcing her to squeeze her eyes shut and grip onto The Hound's arms to support herself. She took a deep breath and looked up into his eyes, so dark, so full of pain, anguish and sadness but so beautiful and clear.

She felt his hands on pushing her down onto the grass. "Sit a moment, girl."

He left her and went to Stranger and began to rummage through packs until he came across what he was looking for, he strode to the river, clean shirt slung casually over one broad shoulder, a clean rag in his hand and filled his water skin with its icy waters. Making his way back to her, he sat in the grass and with large fumbling hands removed the cloak from the girls shoulders, revealing the ugly mess that was her back.

"The maester will do a better job but this should at least cool you off, bring that fever down a bit."

She felt the freezing cold water hit her naked back, the dried blood and dirt running down to her buttocks and into the grass. The Hound's hands though large and powerful, able to deliver a death blow with one strike, could be as gentle and skilfully as any maester, as he drenched the rag in water and began to clean the lash marks as best he could.

"The Lannister's." She sucked in her breath and winced.

"What?" He was wiping out the deep gouges as carefully as he could without hurting the girl.

"Have you ever heard of the Phoenix Eggs, My Lord?"

"Can't say that I have." He rung out the bloody cloth and poured more water on it. Nora shivered as the cold wet cloth ran down her arms.

"Turn around, girl and put this on."

Nora got to her knees and turned around to face The Hound. Tried as hard as he might he couldn't keep from taking in the girl's naked body. She was a rare beauty he though to himself, although little in height, held breasts so large that he was surprised her tiny frame could hold them, a narrow waist that flared out into full round hips. On her knees he could still see the triangular tufted of golden red hair between her legs.

If I were a younger man. He though to himself as he felt himself harden at the thought.

"Here!" He said throwing the shirt at her.

"Thank you." She pulled the oversized shirt over her head with great difficulty, feeling her wounded back crack open and blood trickle from the wounds.

"Well? What the fuck are the Phoenix eggs?"

"Fire diamonds. House Rowan was so wealthy they made the Tyrell's look like peasants. It was said that a great fire bird gave my great grandfather twelve eggs the size of a man's head, each nestled in a golden nest of it's own, for saving it's life from a dragon. Over the years , one after the other the eggs where broken down and re cut and with them many great wars were paid for. There is only one egg left and one day Tywin Lannister came calling on my father. My father refused him my hand in marriage as he knew that Lannister was after the last of the Phoenix Egg and by marriage to one of his kin he would have both my father's lands, titles and riches including the fire diamonds upon his death. He refused and my House was butchered, my father took the secret of the last eggs location to his grave."

The Hound wanted to laugh because he knew the grim truth of this girl's fate. She was saved because she was Goddaughter to King Robert but with the lion in his bed, Lady Eleanora last of House Rowan would still be forced to marry a Lannister and after she gave the bloody lion a son she would most likely die under mysterious circumstances, leaving the Lannister's a great deal considerable wealthy. From the ashes we rise, were the words of House Rowan, he hoped that if the Gods where real for the sake of this girl it were true.

"I'm going to die, no matter what, aren't I?" She asked as Clegane lifted her bridal style back to Stranger, gently placing the girl in the saddle.

"We all die, girl. The King's protection will only keep you safe as long as he lives. Aye, most likely you will die by the hand of a Lannister..."

"Or by the hand of their dog?" She interrupted as Clegane swung into the saddle behind her.

"Not by my hand, girl. I can promise you that. Perhaps find yourself a husband." He barked a laugh.

"Are you offering, My Lord?" She smiled, unable to keep the giggle from her voice.

The Hound laughed again. " Your starting to sound like one of those silly little birds. No, girl. I wouldn't cross the Lannister's for all the gold in the Seven Kingdoms. Take my advice, girl, find a husband and give him a son."

"What about love, My Lord?" She asked as the fever took over her again, she felt the strong arms of her rescuer wrap around her, pulling her closer to him, the warmth of his body pressed against her as they rode on.

"Love makes you weak, girl."

Nora though she could hear bitterness in his voice. "Better to marry a blonde Lannister cunt than show weakness by loving someone. That's a bleak view, My Lord, I think I'd rather be an old spinster than marry."

Clegane was taken aback by her use of one of his favourite curses, it made his heart race to hear her soft, sweet voice utter such a foul word. He felt a growing attraction to the girl in his arms, an urge to protect and keep her from harm. Although it had only been a few hours since they had left the stinking prison where she was held to burn to the ground, Sandor Clegane felt at complete ease with this girl.

"Have you ever been in love?" She asked breaking into his thoughts. She turned her head around to look at him, a smile was visible on her chapped lips.

"You ask a shit lot of questions, girl." He answered gruffly.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I'll answer your questions, if you answer mine."

The Hound stared over the top of the girls head, in the distance he could see the glow of street lanterns. Their destination, a small village a weeks ride from King's Landing, an inn that the King himself had paid a dozen golden dragons for his beloved Goddaughter's recovery. It would only be the two of them staying there, the last thing Robert wanted was anyone to find the girl until she was well enough to be brought before him. Her testimony would his chance to remove the Lannister's from any and all power the held and be rid of Cersei for good. Clegane smiled to himself, King Robert had paid him handsomely for this babysitting job, but he was starting to enjoy the girls company.

The Hound cleared his throat and in his deep rumbling voice answered her. "No, I have never loved."

"Not even the women you've taken to your bed?"

He looked down at Nora, she smiled still, never breaking eye contact. Did she not see the ruin of a man he was? The way she looked at him was as though he was as handsome as those Knights from the old tales and songs.

Despite himself he boomed with laughter. "Whores love gold, they don't give two fucks how ugly the man as long as they're paid. Love and fucking are two very different things, girl. You can have one without the other."

"That makes me sad, My Lord."

Clegane looked confused, the girl genuinely looked sad at the thought of his comments

"Why?"

Nora pulled his arms closer around her as she felt the cold sweat of the fever course through her, her skin burned but it felt like ice ran through her very core.

"That you think yourself unworthy of love." She answered, teeth chattering slightly, she lay her head against the massive width of his muscular chest.

"You don't know me, girl! You don't know the things I've done. Only a maiden would spout such shite!" He growled.

" I am better with steel than poetry, Lord Hound, I do not spout simpering shite! The world is a cruel bitch, I know exactly how it works. Just because I have never taken a man into my bed does not mean I am innocent to the ways of the world. Perhaps I should give you my maidenhood, Sandor Clegane as reward for rescuing me. It would be the first time you didn't have to pay for it!" She fumed.

He laughed, long and hard at that, tears streamed his eyes and his ribs began to ache. Nora couldn't help herself but laugh as well. Soon all that could be heard through the night was the sound of hooves and laughter.

"I might hold you to that, girl."

She rolled her brilliant green eyes. "Nora."

Sandor Clegane smiled. "Nora." He said softly, liking how it sounded.

"Tell me something, gir.. Nora, how are you so calm after weeks of torture at the hands of my brother?" He practically spat the last word as though he could still feel the fire burning his flesh, he felt anger that his brother had laid his on her. He felt rage every time he thought about it.

" Every night I thought would be my last, My Lord. I never feared dying, my family are gone, so is my home but I remember the words of my House; From the ashes We rise, and I did. Hate kept me alive and it is that hate that will help me have my vengeance on those who wronged me. But now, here, breathing in the free air, if I didn't laugh, I'd cry."

"You are brave, that hate will keep you going."

"My Lord?" She whispered half asleep.

"Don't call me that! I'm no Lord."

"Then what shall I call you?" She lifted her head and turned to look at him, his dark eyes glowing in the dark night.

"Sandor." He said his abrupt fashion.

"Will you teach me, Sandor?"

The Hound was confused as he looked down into the little redheads eyes. "Teach you what, girl?"

Nora turned around and saw the village come into view, they road quietly down the narrow dirt road until they came to a two levelled wooden structure, outside creaked a slightly battered sign, it's black and red paint peeling with age.

The Firebird Inn.

The Hound swung down and carried the girl over the threshold, as the soft orange glow of the lanterns filled the darkened doorway he heard the girl whisper.

"Teach me to kill." She closed her eyes and slept.


End file.
